General and Cosmetic Dentistry Tips and News

Dental Implants Care

Implants and Imperative Dental Care

By: | Tags: | Comments: 0 | November 29th, 2017

Having great oral hygiene is a good idea in general, but even more so when you have dental implants. There are various methods that you have to perform in order to reduce the amount of bacteria and plaque every day. When you don’t brush properly, or even floss regularly, you’ll be more susceptible to this bacterium, which may promote infection within your mouth. First and foremost, you must clean the interdental spaces within your teeth, and maybe even invest in something called an interdental brush to further promote this action with ease.

Since dental implants are quite costly, it’s imperative that you learn the basic practices of good implant care and oral hygiene. When you do so, you can avoid the risk of complications entirely, and ensure that your implants won’t fail or reject. If you end up losing said implant, the dentist cannot guarantee that the area can be repaired again as you wish.

When bacteria multiply, this can cause peri-implantitis. In short, this means that there’s inflammation around your new implant, which can cause a loss in bone. If you’ve ever heard of periodontitis, then you’ll want to know that these two diseases are caused by a very similar bacteria.

What to Do When You Get Your Implant

When an implant is performed correctly, and cared for properly, they are quite successful and perform their functions just fine. Make sure to look towards the following care tips to further the longevity of your implant.

Smoking – While smoking is bad for your overall health, those with dental implants are more susceptible to bacteria and infection when they smoke. It’s highly suggested that you quit smoking for this reason, as you may lose your implant much quicker than you’d hope.

Oral hygiene – This next one is a no brainer, but thorough cleaning and oral care will indefinitely further the lifespan of the implant.

Maintenance – Maintenance is one of the biggest factors in a dental implant remaining healthy. Much like oral hygiene, maintenance means taking care of all the nooks and crannies of the teeth, but at a professional level. For those with implants, you should expect a check-up on them every 3-6 months. Not only will the implant be cleaned, those hard-to-reach areas will see professional care. It’s worth mentioning that cleaning around dental implants may require special tools that you’ve never seen at traditional teeth cleaning appointments pre-implant. The appointment may also take longer, too.

If you’re thinking, “I’m not in any pain and it looks clean already – I’ll be fine!” then you’ll want to know that peri-implantitis and mucositis can occur without any signs of symptoms. Because of this, regular check-ups are most definitely recommended, and since they don’t cause pain, a professional look is imperative.

Removing Plaque As Much As Possible

After you’ve had your implant placed, you’ll want to avoid using a toothbrush around the area for a little bit (under a day or two) because of the sensitivity. Although, you shouldn’t avoid cleaning your mouth entirely. In order to prevent the build-up of plaque in your mouth as a whole, and especially around your dental implant, you’ll want to use antibacterial mouth rinse. There are also gels that you can use! Always remember to brush and floss to help maintain the integrity of your mouth.

If you have any question regarding your implants or to book an appointment, please give us a call at 905.731.1871